Sivananda World News: The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams

Om Namah Sivaya, Greetings from the Headquarters.
The Ashram was very peaceful and serene during the beginning of March. It was fairly quiet at the Camp. Staff then focussed on the painting and cleaning of the Subramanya/Ayyappa Temple, as its opening will take place on the 11th of April. Daily snowshoeing up and down the hill has been a great exercise. Temperatures have increased slightly and one can feel the heat of sun on the skin. We welcomed Manjunath back. He spent the winter in India and now is back to carry on the daily Pujas and rituals in the Krishna Temple and Samadhi Estates until the season starts for the other temple. We hosted Sashi and Sivaram (Swamiji’s nephew) for a South Indian cooking workshop. It was a great success as the 35 attendants gathered in the kitchen for the entire afternoon, preparing for all a delicious feast. Apart from learning the preparations with Sashi they had a good entertaining time with Sivaram, with his many stories about Master Sivananda and Swami Vishnu. As the spring approaches we had a change over of staff, as those who stayed over the winter months are leaving and those who look forward for the busy summer months slowly arrive.

During mid-March we had lots of clean up work outside as we saw snow again with heavy winds, undoing a lot of our shovelling efforts. Housekeeping staff were busy preparing all the rooms for the mid month weekend as we were fully booked. Over 55 guests participated in the juice fasting weekend most of them checking in on the Friday. The fasters were very happy and enjoyed the wealth of knowledge that Suzanne and Isabelle had to offer. They enjoyed beginner/gentle and intermediate yoga classes. Saturday evening guests went for a silent walk allowing them to be outside and get some fresh air. The fast finished on Sunday at 2pm. It was a successful and happy weekend for the guests who enjoyed everything from the workshops, sauna, classes and juice-ing. France, who is providing Thai Yoga massage was completely booked over the weekend. 60 guests checked out on the Sunday, making sure to keep the housekeeping and laundry staff on their feet! We had 4 guests staying for a week and lots of guests booking in for Dr. Madan Bali’s program, “Yoga for Stress and Psychosomatic Disorders”. Swami Shivabhaktananda returned from the USA after many flight delays. The Subramanya Temple was painted, looking fresh and ready for the opening, although we still have the last cleaning to do. Paul continued with the work on building a new room beside the dining hall at the Temple. Staff are all doing well and trying to maintain a steady practice. We look forward to the Easter celebrations and a slight increase in the temperature. Pranams to all! Om Namo Narayanaya to all Sivananda Staff from the Yoga Camp.

http://www.sivananda.org/camp

Namah Sivaya to all. At the beginning of March the one month dry weather spell broke with some heavy thunder showers. Fortunately we were able to disconnect the electrical equipment in good time to prevent damage due to the lightening strikes. We have an enthusiastic group of 10 new teachers who are daily teaching each other under supervision. They are rapidly progressing to become capable teachers. Highlights of the week included; visit of Kerala Blog Express group composed of 35 blog writers touring Kerala sponsored by the Kerala tourism department, Kattakali dance performance depicting Daksha Yagyam. This is the first time that the story of Siva, Sati and her father, Daksha has been portrayed here. The fight between Veerabhadra, Bhadrakali and Daksha provided the dramatic high point of the dance. Students and staff celebrated Holi with gay abandon at the Lakeside on Saturday. It was a good opportunity to let off some steam. We welcomed Nasser from Iran to the staff and bid adieu to workstudy Iris with thanks for her selfless service particularly in the reception.

Mid-March the Ashram staff were able to relax a bit between TTCs. Swami Gayatriananda, Swami Rajeshwariananda, Padmavati, Kalyani and Nataraj took the opportunity to visit the well known Subramanya temple at Trichendur. It was a blessing to visit this temple on the coast of Tamil Nadu. Back at the Ashram the new teachers class continued daily and we started a new afternoon Gentle Class for the yoga vacationers. On Saturday the Ashram was invited to participate in a walk for International Womens’ Day. The event had been postponed for 2 weeks due to the death of a senior government official. Over twenty guests and staff joined several hundred participants in Trivandrum. The week came to an end with the TTC initiation on Sunday. The total of 108 students added an auspicious edge to the event. This week we bid adieu to Omkari and Yukti and thank them for their selfless service. New staff Harshim has joined from the February TTC batch.

After celebrating Sivaratri in the ashram in Neyyar Dam, a group of 18 yatris began the 4th annual South Indian Yatra, a 14-day pilgrimage to sacred and holy places in south India. The temples were noticeably less crowded this time of year, which was greatly appreciated by both the staff and guests. Along with our usual pilgrimage route some of the trip highlights included: sailing the famous Kerala backwaters with Vijay (Delhi – West), visiting Madurai ashram for the beginning of February TTC and the Ganapathi Homa, taking a dip in the surprisingly clean waters of Rameshwaram, asana class at sunrise with Suresh on the lawns of Brigadeeshwara Temple, a special abhishekam and viewing the “secret” golden leaves during arati in Chidambram Temple, Sanskrit lessons with Srinivas on the yatra bus, evening satsang in front of mighty Arunachala, traversing the tunnels in Kailasanantha Temple and coming out re-born, a private asana class with Prahlad in Chennai centre, traveling to the rock carved temples in Mahabalipuram with Dr. Vishnu, accidently crashing a wedding in Dikshina Chitra, and enjoying a bharatnatyam dance performance followed by a spectacular fireworks display for our last night together in Chennai. Pranams & Om Namah Sivaya from all staff at Neyyar Dam.

http://www.sivananda.org/neyyardam

Om Namo Narayanaya – Greetings from Uttar Kashi. The first TTC of the high season is slated for April 5th with another immediately following on May 10th. We are looking forward to teaching vibrant groups of students this year. Pranams to all.

http://www.sivananda.org/uttarkashi

Om Namo Narayanaya – Greetings from Uttar Kashi. The first TTC of the high season is slated for April 5th with another immediately following on May 10th. We are looking forward to teaching vibrant groups of students this year. Pranams to all.

www.sivananda.org/madurai

Om Namah Sivaya! The first week of March was the first week of TTC. The students adjusted smoothly to new routine. They are an enthusiastic group and eager to learn. The weekend program was lead by Mitchell Rabine. Mitchell teaches with wisdom and humour on deepening individual energy fields, by using the ancient Chinese exercise of Ti Chi. Rabbi Zoe also joined us for a Sabbat ceremony one Friday evening and gave Satsang the next day, leading the congregation in melodious chanting of Om and Om Namah Sivaya.

During mid-March we entered the third week of TTC, developing very nicely. The students started their teaching groups, evolving into yoga teachers. It was another packed weekend for the Hiking and Yoga program. One Saturday, the TTC’s had a day off. Over 40 guests, staff and students joined a hike that day at the beautiful state park Lake Minawaska. They arrived back at the Ashram in time for the afternoon asana class. Elaine Valdov was with us and gave a talk on Yoga Peace Ambassadors. Staff are all well, strong in their Sadhana and send their pranams.

Om Namah Sivaya! At the beginning of March the Yoga Farm energy was very dynamic with many guests coming for programs and to enjoy the warm, sunny Ashram days. Karuna devi led the 5-day Beginner Course focused on the 5 Points of Yoga. The group was enthusiastic and grateful for the teaching and their new-found practice. A weekend Ayurveda Massage Retreat was a great success with guests receiving therapies and attending talks by Bharata introducing the key teachings of Ayurveda for physical, mental and spiritual health as a complement to Yoga practice. Swami Vasishtananda led a small evening Homa at the Krishna Temple as part of Holi celebrations, with all making offerings to the fire for peace and well-being. Part of Holi tradition is to play with colors, with staff throwing and painting each others’ faces and clothing.

Mid-March saw the Ashram welcomed Gajananam, here to teach the “From Form to Formlessness” course, sharing the Vedanta teachings on how one can relate to the world, the individual soul and to God. During the week, the Ashram staff turned their energy to karma yoga projects with a “garden party” in the afternoon, pulling weeds, working in the greenhouse and preparing beds; and a Housekeeping spring cleaning party to deep clean the guest cabins. Final touches to the Siva cabins were also underway. Spring brought many flowers and trees into full bloom with beautiful colors all around the Yoga Farm. Om Namah Sivaya to all blessed selves from the Yoga Farm.

http://www.sivananda.org/farm

Om Namo Narayanaya, Blessed Selves. At the beginning of March we started with the Graduation of our February TTC class with 47 new yoga teachers spreading peace in the world. We have been redesigning our karma yoga program over the past year. A new group arrived beginning of this month and participated in a five day orientation which teaches them subjects including: the lineage, the five points of yoga in detail emphasizing positive thinking and meditation, the four paths of yoga, and chanting. So far this has been a big success and participants begin their karma yoga with a deeper understanding and tools to get the most out of their time. We were greatly honored to have hosted the Zen Peacemakers Family gathering. The Family Gathering graced us with a series of talks from Roshi Bernie Glassman and Roshi Eve Myonen Marko on “Living a Life that Matters”- which included a Q&A session with Swami Swaroopananda.
We enjoyed the musical stylings of “Kirtan with Ragani”. Ragani was initiated by Swami Rama and personally trained in the Himalayan Tradition of yoga sciences, meditation and eastern music, including kirtan. Dale Buegel MD taught “Prana in Life Enchancement” for the first half of the weeks afternoon lectures. Dr Buegel MD is a faculty member of Kanyakumari, the Himalayan Yoga and Meditation Society, as well as the GreenSquare Centre for the Healing Arts.

Mid-March saw the “Feminine & Masculine in the World’s Spiritual Traditions” Special Event. This brought representatives from leading religions to present the archetypes of the feminine and masculine. Daniel Matt, PhD, authority on Kabbalah and author, spoke on “Shekhinah: The Female Aspect of God in Kabbalah”. Vasudha Narayanan, PhD spoke of “The Mother of the Universe” presented deities from the Hindu tradition. Judith A. Simmer-Brown, professor of religious studies at Naropa university and Buddhist practitioner spoke on “Dakini Wisdom of Passion”. To wrap up this symposium Dr. Nathan Katz, professor and pioneer in Indo-Judaic studies, led a panel discussion with all five speakers. We welcomed John Kastner, long time devotee of the Ashram and an Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker to open our first ever symposium on Yoga and the Art of Forgiveness. Kastner showed his documentary “NCR: Not Criminally Responsible” and “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”. The films illustrate what can happen when life confronts people with events that seem virtually impossible to forgive. John Kastner also hosted a panel discussion with the mother and father of one of the victims in his film. Lisa Ramshaw, MD, DPhil, psychiatrist and forensic psychiatrist presented as part of the symposium as well as Frederic Luskin from the Stanford Forgiveness Projects and author of Forgive for Good. We enjoyed having Swami Omkarananda with us this week. She was visiting the Ashram to present a course in Permaculture and Vedic Ecology. The Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Course with Marc Halpern and Marisa Laursen began this week and will continue until March 31st. Students learn the energetics of each asana and pranayama through the understanding of the nadis, chakras and vayus of the body. Om Shanti from all the staff in Nassau.

http://www.sivananda.org/nassau

Om Namah Sivaya. Beginning of the month there was another yoga week amidst winter beauty. The topic was Yoga body check with a variety of asana workshops. The guests also took advantage of relaxing Ayurveda massages with Mira. Highlight in February was the Sivaratri night which we celebrated in a festive mood. We did one Puja to the black Granit Lingam and the second on a beautiful metal Siva idol. Milk, ghee, curd and honey were flowing over the murti accompanied by constant mantra repetition. The night ended with a soft and peaceful energy which permeated the Retreat House even for the next few days. The guest otherwise were lucky with spring-like and warm temperatures which made them stay outside on the Ganesha platform studying spiritual books. A workshop on prana and breathing, a cooking workshop and Satsangs on happiness and mind made the week a complete experience. Later on Swami Vasudevananda arrived from Munich for a weekend and gave 3 inspiring Satsangs on concentration and meditation. Padmavati from Vienna taught a special weekend program entitled Yoga – the gentle Way with detailed advice in how to practice in case of physical limitations.
Mira shared her knowledge about ayurvedic and yogic cooking in two cooking classes. An inspiring lecture about thought power gave them an idea about the psychological aspect of yoga. Swami Keshavananda was guiding guests and staff on a long refreshing walk through the forest and we enjoyed the wonderful silence of the area around the Ashram. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/tyrol

Om Namah Sivaya. The “Yoga and Silence” Retreat at the beginning of the month went very well, it was a nice experience for everybody to focus on each and every activity in silence. Swami Bhagavatananda elaborated on the nice chapter on « Silence » from Bliss Divine by Swami Sivananda in one of the Satsangs. We had workshops on meditation, with explanation of the Mantras, Gita chanting, Likitha Japa sessions and Tratak ; the guests also enjoyed silent walks. Nataraj from Hamburg arrived to work on Swamiji’s statue – he did the statue of master already last year. He is proceeding nicely ! The priest, Sree Krishna, came for a short visit and we had a nice Kanyakumari Puja. For one weekend Ananda and Iswari from Tours came with almost 60 students of their Yoga studio, all of whom were eager to have their first Ashram experience. We were fortunate to have Gauri and Kailas from the Paris Centre with us help with the teaching on that weekend. At the end of the month, we had the topic of « Dynamic Asanas » : the guests enjoyed the longer holding of the basic asanas and were also guided to try out some new variations with individual corrections. In the lectures and workshops we covered the « benefits of asanas », the « Asanas, as key to concentration and mental balance » and covered the three levels of relaxation. We also had the opportunity to take the guest on Silent Walks. We said good bye to Ishwari, who left after serving wholeheartedly for some months and hope to welcome her back soon. Overall, it was a nice month, sunny for a few days with little rain only and temperatures slowly rising; snowdrops in the Ashram wood have bloomed already and hyacinths and daffodils in the gardens are coming. OM.

http://www.sivananda.org/orleans

Om Namah Sivaya The TTC students adapted well to the routine, discipline and community life after one week. Special guests are Dr. Subrahmanya from Andra Pradesh, talking about importance of Guru to help us work out karma as well as Ambika (Jennifer Andrews) who shared about Ayurveda, herbs, and daily routine. They chanted well and improved in postures, homework, sitting quiet in meditation and are very attentive juggling with new Vedanta concepts. They enjoyed the silent walk around the lake and day-off and went by bus on an outing tour and visited the Dalat Centre for lunch and other exhibition places displaying local arts and crafts. Authentic classical music with Vietnamese flute, drum and string instruments were a delight to all at the Saturday evening performance so much that many got up and danced ending up with a big happy circle. The weather has been very good and we are thankful for this opportunity to serve and share.

Week 3 of TTC carried on strong and intense. The students started their lessons in Anatomy and Physiology with Swami Pranavananda. The kriyas were practiced on Monday morning by the lakeside and everyone was feeling cleansed after the process. At the end of the week we had a Puja workshop with all the students dressing in traditional Vietnamese ao dai dress. It was a beautiful ceremony ending with a procession on the terrace to worship life size Quan Yin (female Buddha). On Sunday early morning was the mantra initiation with 75 students participation and making the commitment to practice mantra. We also welcomed from Coimbatore, India, Dr. Ramkumar, who gave 3 Satsangs to the students on Ayurveda, Diet, and Nutrition. The talks were very well received with lots of questions from the students. We also welcomed a Vietnamese Doctor who specializes in cancer care and advocates Yoga for all his patients. Meanwhile Ambika and Therese were leading a group of 15 guests and 10 therapists through a deep cleanse of Pancha Karma; Sri devi led a Meditation Intensive 5-day course for guests and Durga Leela and Swami Sitaramananda were parallely teaching the Ayurveda and Yoga Counselors Course.The week ended with a traditional meditative Tea ceremony by Tea Master Amba accompanied by Meditative Buddhist local singing group. The Dalat weather continues to be gorgeous and charged of fresh air and prana.